USA TodayHOW HARD CAN IT BE? by Allison Pearson
What it’s about: In this sequel to I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT, working mom Kate Reddy returns, almost 50 and juggling difficult teenagers, a husband having a midlife crisis, and an old flame who shows up.
Why it’s hot: Big Little Lies executive producer Bruna Papandrea has optioned Pearson’s new comic novel for TV.

LOOK ALIVE OUT THERE by Sloane Crosley
Also available in audioTHREE starred reviews! The New York Times–bestselling author’s brand-new collection of essays is filled with her characteristic heart and punch-packing observations, but with a newfound coat of maturity. A thin coat. More of a blazer, really. “Crosley is exceedingly clever and has a witticism for all occasions, but it is her willingness to confront some of life’s darker corners with honesty and vulnerability that elevates this collection.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

PRESIDENT CARTER: The White House Years by Stuart E. Eizenstat, foreword by Madeleine AlbrightTHREE starred reviews! “This comprehensive, unflinching narrative and analytical treatment of Carter is essential for a new evaluation of an earnest, often exasperating, yet important figure in late 20th-century U.S. history.” — Library Journal, starred review

DARWIN COMES TO TOWN: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution by Menno Schilthuizen
Evolutionary biologist Schilthuizen is one of a growing number of “urban ecologists” studying how man-made environments are accelerating the evolution of animals and plants. “[Schilthuizen] does a superb job of introducing important ecological principles along the way, leaving readers with a fascinating question: ‘Can we harness the power of urban evolution to use it to make more livable cities for the future?’” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE GIFT OF OUR WOUNDS: A Sikh and a Former White Supremacist Find Forgiveness After Hate by Arno Michaelis & Pardeep Singh Kaleka
The powerful story of a friendship between two men—one Sikh and one skinhead—that resulted in an outpouring of love and a mission to fight against hate. “With coauthor Fisher’s assistance, both Kaleka’s chronicling of the day of the shooting and Michaelis’ frank recounting of his former attitudes and acts make for heartbreaking reading, but their work together is inspiring and gives readers hope that the next generation can do much to heal America’s great divide.” — Booklist, starred review

SOMETHING WONDERFUL: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution by Todd S. Purdum
A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and created the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. “Although the biographies of Rodgers and Hammerstein are naturally threaded throughout, this is much more the story of the music rather than the men. Something wonderful, indeed.” — Booklist, starred review

THE TRAUMA CLEANER: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein
An “intriguing” (Publishers Weekly) debut biography of Sandra Pankhurst, a transgender woman who spends her life cleaning up after traumas, such as crime scenes and floods. “Had this uniquely gifted and nuanced chronicler of offensive odors stuck with describing the fragrance of ancient dried blood, antediluvian dust, and unspeakable effluents, Krasnostein’s debut would be memorable enough, but her subject’s life story is more remarkable and often just as harrowing as the scent of the derelict apartments she excavates for a living.” — Booklist, starred review

MINORITY LEADER: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
Also available in audio
A guide to harnessing the strengths of being an outsider from a woman slated to become the first black female governor in the U.S. “Although there are many books on networking and achieving political and entrepreneurial success, Abrams’ is geared toward helping those who are on the fringes, especially African American women, find pathways to success and power. …this is an excellent guide that addresses setbacks and pitfalls and identifies strategies to overcome them.” — Booklistreadmoreremove

Happy#ThrillerThursday/#BookBirthdayweek toTHE HUSHby John Hart!
Also available in audioA March 2018 Indie Next pick! New York Times bestselling and LibraryReads author Hart’s sequel to THE LAST CHILD picks up ten years later when Johnny Merrimon is living in the wilds beyond the town where a dangerous force is at play. “Hart continues to deepen his palette in this ambitious sequel, which is distinctive enough in story and tone to be read as a stand-alone. Recommended for fans of Dennis Lehane’s SHUTTER ISLAND and Tom Franklin’s CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER.” — Library Journal

*Nominations are due February 20! Click here for the full list of 2018 deadlines.

AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline
Anna is a drop-dead gorgeous sixteen-year-old with a secret dark side and when she turns up dead, all fingers point to her stepfather. “[A] nail-biting domestic thriller…. Filled with plenty of twists and complex characters, this entertaining story builds to a satisfying conclusion.” — Publishers Weekly

Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email library@macmillanusa.com with the subject “After Anna.”*

LOOK ALIVE OUT THERE by Sloane CrosleyTHREE starred reviews! The New York Times–bestselling author’s brand-new collection of essays is filled with her characteristic heart and punch-packing observations, but with a newfound coat of maturity. A thin coat. More of a blazer, really. “Crosley is exceedingly clever and has a witticism for all occasions, but it is her willingness to confront some of life’s darker corners with honesty and vulnerability that elevates this collection.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

Download the e-galley from Edelweiss

THE COMEDOWN by Rebekah FrumkinOne of Nylon’s “50 Books We Can’t Wait To Read In 2018!”A dazzling epic that follows two very different families in Cleveland, where a drug deal gone wrong forces them to become irrevocably intertwined. “[F]rom page to page, character to character, this is a powerful debut. Frumkin has talent to burn…” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Download the e-galley from Edelweiss

WONDERBLOOD by Julia Whicker
A post-apocalyptic fantasy about religious war, a perverse faith, and waiting for the space shuttles to return. “This is an original and well-formed entry into the crowded field of dystopian fiction. For fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s STATION ELEVEN, N.K. Jemisin’s ‘Broken Earth’ series, and George R.R. Martin’s ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ books.” — Library Journal

Download the e-galley from Edelweiss

VOICES FROM THE RUST BELT by Anne Trubek
A timely anthology of distinct voices exploring life in the Rust Belt today, from the Flint water crisis to white flight in Detroit to growing up female in a heavily male, steel mill town. “A good companion piece to J. D. Vance’s HILLBILLY ELEGY.” — Booklist